


Beyond The Label

by MinSugaD



Category: GOT7, ogcharacter, vkook - Fandom, yoonmin - Fandom, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: #BangTangetsprotective, #BigBrotherBangTan, #OGsnicknameisAngie, #Ships, #bambamisweird, #bamgie, #fuck, #got7closertotheend, #hospitalization, #importantbcoffanships, #jimangie, #jimangiesoundslikejumangi, #jiniskindameaninthebeginningbutgetsniceipromise, #someyoonminlater, #ughidktheysoundedcuteinmyhead, #vkooklolsrryguys, F/F, F/M, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 22:52:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13421307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinSugaD/pseuds/MinSugaD
Summary: An idea that's been rolling around my head for the past year or so. About BTS and this dancer girl I came up with. She kinda gets called to them and becomes a temp dance choreographer while also getting really close to them. She's got a fucked up past and also lowkey gets w Jimin for a hot sec. Things start picking up at around the 13th chptr, and she meets BTS on the 10th or 11th chptr idk many earlierThis is in progress and is REALLY LONG GUYS





	1. Started With Dance

_I guess it...started out like any other dance class. I was warming up with some of my jazz students and going over their choreo since their competition was in two weeks. A lot of my girls were stiff because of the time they took off during the March break. Honestly, I was glad to be pushing them a little harder, even if it was a bit harsh; they were going to need all the rehearsal time they could squeeze in._

 

A beat resounded through the studio, bouncing off the walls and humming within the dancer's bodies. Black leotards clung to glistening skin, the bunned heads increasing with flyaways as the girls twisted and turned through the air.

A loud clap echoed through the room halfway through the song; an authoritative figure shifted in the back corner as the attention turned on them before they spoke.

"Good! That's enough now girls," they said, turning their gaze in order to pause the music. For a few seconds, her neck length curls hung loosely past her ears, bouncing at every movement. She unconsciously pulled them back with pinched fingers, deep brown eyes looking assessively towards her students, one of them her current focus.

"Stephanie? Come here please." As the tween girl approached her, the older stooped to pick up her water bottle from the dance floor. Stephanie was one of her quieter students, with a tinkling laugh and a bright smile; none of which were currently present.

"Yes?" she said, hazel eyes looking up with slight fatigue. She wasn't the only one who felt this way; all the dancers seemed tired.

"What happened to your turnout?" her instructor asked, picking at the lid of her water bottle. Stephanie inwardly sighed, taking in the teenager before her for the hundredth time.

Angelica Koka-Puziarski. Fifteen years old with an upcoming birthday in October; you could never guess she was in high school, her short height throwing off any idea that she was above twelve or thirteen. The only reason people knew otherwise was because of her hourglass figure, both prominent north and south of her body. Angelica had a build that spoke of her South American and European descent, on top of her years of physical training. She was one of the smallest students in her grade; this caused people to underestimate her, which she found slightly amusing on her end.

Angelica shifted her weight to one side, making Stephanie think of how it was just her luck that her dance teacher, whom she had a serious crush on, was starting to sniff out her little charade.

"My turn out's fine." Stephanie countered, trying to look confident. Angelica's eyes shifted upwards, taking about two seconds to look into her student's soul. It wasn't hard to figure out she was lying. Oh no, in fact, that was too easy for her teacher.

The hard part was getting her to own up to it.

"Show me, then." Angelica sighed, taking a sip from her water bottle before putting it back down. She gestured towards the floor before the mirrors, walking purposefully towards the centre of the room. Stephanie inwardly groaned, the dread making her stomach heavy as she tried to come up with a suitable excuse to avoid her assessment.

"I'm tired," she tried, sounding unconvincing even to herself. Angelica didn't look over. "I want to save my ener-"

"Stephanie." A few of the other students in the class were beginning to look over at the escalating situation. Stephanie ran over to the centre of the room and sat down, stretching her legs before her and pointing her toes out of reflex. As Angelica debated as to whether she should cut to the chase or not, she had an idea.

"No," she interjected, as Stephanie began to stand, realizing her mistake. "Sit down."

More girls in the class were starting to pay attention as teacher and student exchanged heated stares. The younger of the two looking confused and slightly nervous.

"Lift up your leg," Angelica said, causing Stephanie to stare at her with ill-concealed disbelief, her lips tight and stiff. Her teacher gestured towards her patiently, urging her to follow the instruction. "Come on. Lift it up."

Stephanie did as she was told. The movement of her left leg was fluid and strong, with only a hint of tremors coming through when it was raised higher than her chest.

Fatigue can be a devil.

"Good." Angelica nodded, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Now the other one."

Stephanie hesitated, causing the teen before her to raise a brow.

The girl took a steadying breath before she moved, and braced herself.

The movement of her right leg was unsteady and looked almost painful. It swayed back and forth in the air, nearly collapsing and hitting the floor at some points. Stephanie's face was pinched with effort as she fought with her body to lift her toes higher than her ribs. She couldn't.

 _Gotcha_. Although the high schooler felt bad about forcing her student to expose such an injury, she knew there would have been no other alternative to getting it out in the open.

"Stop," she said suddenly, realizing that Stephanie was trying to force herself to keep her leg in the air. The girl set her leg down as she began to cry, eyes turning red. Angelica walked forwards and crouched by Stephanie's feet.

"How did this end up happening?" Stephanie didn't look up at her, both of them already aware that it happened during the March break.

Angelica waited for her student to answer her.

She didn't.

"You need to tell me what happened." the brunette tried again, gently pushing a handful of flyaways from Stephanie's face. Nearly the entire class was listening now, only a few shuffling noises and mumbled voices keeping the room from dead silence.

"I was practising during the break," the younger managed, her throat tight. "And...I guess I didn't stretch properly..."

"Really?" her instructor countered, eyebrows raised. "And how many times have I told you to do the stretches properly?" Stephanie hung her head, only aware of the pain in her leg and the lecture she was receiving.

"I told you," Angelica was angry now. "I told you, I told you...always do the stretches _properly_ without rushing them. I've lost count of how many times I had to remind you not to do them as if you're racing someone." She suddenly became aware of her other students watching them and gave orders for them to continue their warm up, then to rehearse as if they were on stage.

"Get up," Angelica said, taking Stephanie by the arm and hoisting her to her feet just as the other dancers took their places. "Come on."

As the dancers took up their positions with each other, Angelica walked back to the stereo with Stephanie holding onto her shoulders, telling her to sit on the only chair in the room while she switched on the music and shouted at the girls to begin. After a while, she turned back to Stephanie, hands on her hips.

"Show me your leg."

 

\-                          -                             -                                -                                    -                                    -                                        -                                 -                                 -                               -

 

A camera glinted in the studio lights, lenses aimed at the current dancer who was demonstrating an auditionary choreo. Two girls huddled by the screen, the taller one recording what was going on before her, a mischievous grin on her face. The shorter one smiled in wonder at the dancer before her, both of them unaware that the mirrors in the room provided a perfect reflection.

"TURN OFF THE DAMN CAMERA!" the girls jumped, the owner of the camera nearly dropping the device to the floor as she scrambled to put it away. The recording and dancing stopped.

That was probably the fourth time that month one of Angelica's students decided it was a good idea to record one of her demonstrations of a classmate's choreo, and it was really starting to grate on her nerves.

When Angelica had first started teaching dance and all-style improv, she received many compliments about her style and talent in the particular art. At first, she suspected nothing would escalate, until the second or third month that the phones and cameras started appearing, accompanied with videos of her dancing and teaching that were uploaded to youtube the next day. The first video got three thousand likes and ten thousand views in a week...kind of scary.

After the third video was uploaded, she had made the request that no parents or students could videotape her dance routines or warm-ups. It didn't really help, but it brought down the amount of uploaded videos.

If only she could put the same rule to her colleagues and friends...Angelica puffed a stray curl out of her face and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Lovelies, I've lost count of how many times that I told you I'm uncomfortable being taped."

"But you're so _good_!" one of her girls whined, pouting and tapping away at her phone while she most likely uploaded another video. Angelica blinked. _Two_ of them had been taping her?

"You shouldn't even have your devices out her!" the brunette huffed, causing a handful of students to shove their phones into their bags. Angelica made a sound that was a cross between a scoff and a sigh, then turned to the student she had been helping.

"You got that?" she asked, earning such a vigorous nod that Angelica almost warned the boy that he might snap his neck. But before she could, the kid went back to practising.

 

 

Around twenty minutes later, Angelica looked at the clock and called out to her second class to cool off and pack up for the day. As the dance room resounded with shuffling bags, she rubbed the back of her neck and walked back to where Stephanie was sitting.

"Can you walk now?" she asked since the girl had to stay at the studio for an extra hour and a half after her lesson because she couldn't even stand, due to the injury in her leg. Stephanie nodded to her teacher, rising from the chair and picking up her things.

The chestnut-haired girl's phone rang (most likely a call from her mother), and hesitated to answer.

"Can I still dance?" Angelica knew she was talking about their show.

"If you're lucky," she answered. Then, after a pause; "Really lucky."

"...How long will it take to heal?" the question was timid as if Stephanie was afraid of the answer. It made Angelica feel worse about the truth.

"Two weeks," she said as evenly, beginning to pack up her own things, and pulling out spare pieces of clothing she used for her own dancing. Dancing that didn't include teamwork or teaching. Stephanie mumbled something under her breath, causing the curly-haired teen to look up at her.

"What?"

"...I'm sorry," she repeated, avoiding eye contact with her teacher. Angelica gently sighed.

"Well..." she began, knowing there was nothing she could do, or say, to make the situation better. "Now you know why the stretches are important."

After all the students had left the studio, Angelica was searching for suitable music for her own training when some of her colleagues peeked through the doorway. One of them with dark skin, gravity-defying hair, and a powerful body.

"Angie!" she called, causing Angelica to look over.

"Hey, Chee," she responded, a slight half-grin playing on her lips.

Chiamanda was an African-Canadian dance teacher who specialized in modern dance. She was compact and short, but still had a whole head's worth of height above the girl before her.

At seventeen with a birthday next month, Chiamanda had a special type of energy that called the attention of everyone and anyone who shared the space with her; it made Angelica feel strong and powerful whenever she stood next to the modern specialist.

"You gonna practice again?" Chiamanda asked, causing Angelica to nod. "I still don't get why you quit competitive dancing."

Angelica remained silent at the subtle accusation. Of course, it was hard for other people to understand...sometimes she couldn't quite get it herself, the reason why she quit.

Usually, she would respond with the replies "too much work", or "it wasn't really for me", but even she knew what type of bullshit excuses they were.

"I'm thinking maybe...she had other things to focus on." a pale face said, hovering above Chiamanda's head by a good five inches. Jordan was tall, and slightly lanky, being one of the main ballet instructors. He was almost twenty-two, with black hair and dark eyes to match.

A student at OCAD in his second or third year (Angelica could never remember), Jordan was constantly scolding the fifteen year old for her lack of grace when teaching improv to some of their younger students. Although it was annoying, Angelica couldn't deny it was useful, considering that she also had to teach the little girls how to improvise in ballet correctly. She also realized it would help with her own technique as well.

Seeing Jordan surrounded by children over half his age, with tutus and little bodysuits was almost too cute to bear. He loved kids, and nearly all the children he taught were infatuated with him. It was a favourite topic of teasing.

"Yeah, I get your point," Chiamanda responded. "I still think it's such a waste of talent."

Angelica stiffened.

Suddenly Chiamanda's head jerked forwards, shoulders hunching simultaneously as she uttered a shocked yell.

An argument ensued, Chiamanda whirling ferociously to the girl who had appeared by her shoulder and had dared to take a swing.

Tashi was tall, slightly thin, and had a head of wavy chestnut hair. Her skin was a dark olive, matched by melted brown eyes. No one knows how she first turned up in the studio, only that she specialized in jazz. And was currently all up in that.

"Tashi what the fu-!"

"Children." Jordan fired quickly, cutting the angry African woman off as a handful of toddlers wandered unevenly behind them. Chiamanda shut her mouth.

"You don't even know how she feels about quitting." Tashi barked, rounding on the other girl before she had a chance to respond as the toddlers walked away. "Who are you to say things like that?"

"Listen here!" Chiamanda shot back, obsidian eyes sparked with fury. "How can I be sure not to say something offending if she never talks about it?"

A progressive sound echoed gently throughout the room, calling attention to the girl inside it.

Angelica had started to dance. Quietly and purposefully, her body popped and swayed with the music, until all she could focus on was herself.

By the doorway, her three colleagues stood motionless as she continued to dance, the sight and sound pulling them into a trance. Jordan leaned in towards Chiamanda's ear.

"Which one is this?" he asked above the music, somehow managing not to make her deaf.

"I think it's _Straggling_ ," she answered. "By..."

"By that 'Miku' girl, right?" Tashi added, looking over to the other two. The girl's voices mixed. "Yeah..."

Turning back to the girl before them, all three stood motionless for a few minutes before deciding to go home. Chiamanda sighed.

"Shouldn't we tell her that we're closing up early today?" she asked, gazing at the cryptic teen before her, still unable to believe she was one of the youngest instructors out there...and one of the very best. Jordan followed her gaze.

"Maybe we should just-"

"Angie!!" Tashi yelled, cutting him off and making both him and Chiamanda jump. "We're closing up for today!"

Angelica nodded and lightly stopped her dance, walking over to the stereo in order to switch off the music and retract her phone. Another cat-fight ensued beyond the doorway, Angelica wisely ignoring it as she packed up her things. She fleetingly wondered how Jordan and the girls could pack up quickly enough without wasting time and hurting someone.

"See you later, Angie!" Chiamanda shouted, breaking off from the argument she was having with Tashi in order to say good-bye. Jordan chimed in with her, ending with the jazz instructor mumbling her farewells. They peeked their heads into the dance room one last time, just as Angelica waved.

"Bye! Bye!"

 

**A/U: I like vocaloid ok**


	2. In The Old Days

_Around the time the sun started to set, let's say...five. 'Cause...it was still kind of winter then...I was going home by TTC, as in, taking the bus, when some of my oldest friends started texting me. You'll see why this is relevant later._

 

It was still cold. Halfway through March and the temperature had only risen above zero degrees once during the entirety of three weeks. Fog still appeared from people's breathe as they sighed or spoke; Angelica's lungs being the current source of it.

Standing by the bus stop after a sweaty evening of two hour and a half long dance classes proved to be nothing but a thorny irritation. It was so cold that Angelica had to walk back and forth a few steps to keep her muscles from becoming too stiff. And even this she did with some difficulty, as her school bag weighed on her tired shoulders with too many textbooks and a handful of additional assignments.

After about ten more minutes of pacing, the girl sighed. She was starting to feel the tiniest bit of frustration when her phone buzzed.

_' **Hey! Dance class over yet? It's starting to get dark outside!' - 5:12 pm**_

A text from Lillian, one of Angelica's oldest childhood friends, who was currently checking up on her.

The shadows from the sunset eased on Angelica's face, the intense gold rays behind her lighting up the sky and setting the clouds on fire. She smiled gently.

 _'Just got out ten min ago. It's freezing!'_ \- 5:12 pm she responded quickly, wanting a distraction as she waited for the painfully slow bus to arrive. The young dance instructor gazed at her shadow for a bit, then looked across the street out of habit, waiting for her best friend's response.

The shops were just starting to close, a few stragglers wandering the empty streets for some last minute shopping or to walk their dogs. Even the streetcars seemed to be running slowly, despite the lack of vehicles that were on the roads.

Out of boredom, Angelica counted three cars as they passed by before her attention snapped back to her phone as it buzzed once again.

 

**_'That sucks! I just finished gymnastics, training was super tough today...' - 5:13 pm_ **

**_'Especially after all these injuries!' - 5:13 pm_ **

 

Angelica scoffed.

 

_'Of course, it's tough, aren't Regionals coming up soon?' - 5:13 pm_

_'Also, why do you keep hurting yourself all the time? I swear it's like you have some sort of special ability that lets you break at least one bone a month.' - 5:13 pm_

 

Lillian took a while to respond.

 

**_'IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!' -5:14 pm_ **

 

Angelica burst into giggles two minutes before the bus arrived, hopping on while searching for a ticket. Once found, she dropped it into the slot box and took a seat, putting in her earbuds to pass the time on the way home.

 

**_'We should meet up sometime again. I miss hanging out with you and Ariana'. - 5:16 pm_ **

_\-- Snowflake (Ari) has entered the chat! --_

 

_' Lily, you miss me?' - 5:17 pm_

_'Aw :)' - 5:17 pm_

 

Angelica smirked as she could practically see Lillian roll her eyes.

 

_'Hey Snowflake' - 5: 17 pm_

 

_' Hi Geli' - 5:17 pm_

 

_'Tienes Frio?' - 5:17 pm_

 

Ariana and Angelica were also nearly fluent in Spanish.

 

_'Un poco, no tengo una gorra.' - 5:17 pm_

 

**_'GUYS, PLEASE.' - 5:18 pm_ **

 

Lillian, however, was not.

The Portuguese girl was much shorter than Ariana, like Angelica herself, but still had five inches above the curly girl's head. Lillian's endless amount of energy and ambition, accompanied by her compact body made for a perfect gymnast - she wasn't in the Regionals for nothing.

Three older brothers (whom she despised), her parents, and a white-haired dog named Roxy made up the rest of Lillian's immediate family. She was the oldest in the group, her sixteenth birthday having passed a few weeks before.

Angelica constantly thought of her as a firecracker.

 

_' **So Ariana, did figure skating end early?' - 5:18 pm**_

**_'And why do you guys always feel the need to speak Spanish when I'm hereeee.' - 5:18 pm_ **

 

A brief pause in messages, then Ariana responded.

 

_'1. Because it's funny_

_2\. No, we didn't. My laces broke and we're taking a break' - 5:20 pm_

 

Angelica furrowed her brow. Ariana always took the greatest care of her skates, and they always remained in pristine condition. She once went a whole two years without needing to change pairs. So it was needless to say, really, that it was extremely odd her laces would even become ripped, let alone broken.

 

_'How'd they break?' - 5:20 pm_

 

_'Dunno.' - 5:21 pm_

_'I guess they're just getting old :/' - 5:22 pm_ _Ah._ That made sense.

 

The chat room remained silent for awhile, long enough for Angelica to enjoy half of her bus ride in peace. Then Lillian brought it to life again.

 

_' **Hey...guys?' - 5:24 pm**_

 

Angelica frowned at the wavering message, wondering what was going through her best friend's mind. She typed a quick reply, but hit the send button a tad later than Ariana did, as her message appeared a second before. Ever since grade school, the taller girl was lightning fast at responding to questions.

 

_' What's up Lily?' - 5:24 pm_

 

 _'Yeah? What's wrong?' - 5:24 pm_ It took a while for the other girl to respond.

 

**_'I miss competing and performing with you guys.' - 5:27 pm_ **

 

_'....' - 5:27 pm_

 

Angelica's fingers froze over the keypad, Ariana's last message lighting up before she could form a coherent thought.

She looked at out the bus window, once again taking in the fire streaked sky, and took a breath.

Of course, Lillian would miss the stage after all they'd been through. It was one of her dreams to share the spotlight and a giant stage with her best friends. And even though she didn't talk about it much, it was obvious Ariana felt the same way.

After a brief hesitation, Angelica typed a response.

 

_'...Yeah...I miss it too' - 5:35 pm_

 

The chat remained silent.

 

**A/U: Sneak peak to the past of our girls**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh damn. lillian revealing some parts of the paaassst
> 
> also i hope u armys and aghases will be patient as the story updates bc hooooo boy this is gonna take a while  
> but it'll be worth it i promise!!


	3. Summer of June

 

         “So, I was wondering,” Lillian started as the trio walked down the street. It was summer, and they were heading towards the park down the road of Angelica’s house. Ariana had complained to the other two girls about the trip, saying it was too far by subway _and_ car. Lillian and Angelica didn’t bother to change the location.

 

“Wondering about what?” Ariana asked, urging the other girl on. They were halfway there by now.

 

“If we’re never gonna perform again,” she said carefully. “Why do we keep meeting up and practicing our numbers?”

Everyone remained silent.

 

“I think it’s because we’re so used to it by now. And that its kinda... _ingrained_ in our personalities.” Angelica responded, breaking the awkward silence between them. The girls were walking up a gentle concrete slope, the park being on the other side. Once the grass field was in view, all three of them shot to their favorite practice spot; a large grassy area beside a full grown oak tree.

Angelica was the first one to get to the base of the trunk, dropping her bag by the roots a few seconds before Lillian did. A surprised shriek rang out from behind them as the two girls started adjusting their hair. Both turned to look over their shoulders and grinned.

 

“Ariana got her hair stuck in the branches again,” Angelica sang, causing Lillian to laugh. Amidst her frustration, Ariana did too.

 

“Shut up!” she managed between giggles, trying to detangle her hair without dropping her bag, but only succeeded in getting the brown strands to become deeper ensnared before Lillian ran up to her. The limbs of the tree hung so low that half of the branches grazed the earth, so it was no wonder that the tallest of the three girls would get their hair stuck.

As Ariana got free from the tree’s grasp, Angelica worked the kinks out of her neck and shoulders, running their ancient choreo through her mind while waiting for her friends to get ready.

 

In three minutes the girls were in their starting positions, Angelica front and centre and the other two behind her at a diagonal. Their formation was a triangle.

At the silent count of three the dance began, all girls completely synchronized despite the complicated speed of the choreography. At some point Lillian began to hum the song that used to accompany them, spurring the other two girls to join almost simultaneously. A three way melody echoed marvelously throughout the park as the trio bounced and swayed to the imaginary music, lifting their arms as if they were catching feathers from the sky. They moved in such a wondrous harmony, spinning so that their hair gently fanned around their faces - it was a miracle no one in the park had noticed them yet.

(But to be fair, that park was practically always empty.)

 

The girls continued to dance, kicking up their legs and twisting to turn their backs to an imaginary audience. They landed their feet strongly, legs spread apart as if they were riding horses, and with a final twist froze their bodies in place; the dance had ended.

Heavy breaths clung to the air, the intense choreo having a lasting effect on their bodies. After a moment’s pause, laughter and few whoops escaped the girl’s lips, a few claps resounding as they turned to face each other.

 

“Ahh, that never get’s old…” Angelica was the first to speak, and Lillian smiled. The curly girl looked over to Ariana, who was currently sprawled out on the grass. “You alright?...Ariana.”

 

“Yeah, just...give me a second.” Ariana responded, trying to catch her breath. “It’s been a while, so...wow.”

 

“Yeah,” Lillian nodded as Angelica chuckled. “It’s been really long since our last full performance.”

 

“Has it?” Angelica said, squinting her eyes as she tried to remember their last show. It hadn’t felt that long to her...but maybe that was because she had been dancing every day since then. She counted the time on her fingers; they had stopped performing a few summers ago in June, so...August, September, November, December, January, February, March, April, May-

 

“It’s been a year and a half ?!” she shrieked, whipping her head back to Ariana and Lillian so fast that something popped in her neck. The girl hissed and tried to rub it back in.

 

“... _shit._ ” Ariana and Lillian laughed.

 

“Two years, actually.” Ariana corrected her.

 

“It just doesn’t feel that long to you because-”

 

“- ‘cause you’ve been - “

 

“- dancing everyday.” The two girls took turns before speaking simultaneously. Angelica smirked awkwardly before allowing her previous emotions to return.

 

“Yeah I figured that was why I didn’t feel so tired...but still... _two years_! Wow …” It really hadn’t felt all that long.

 

“That’s why I was saying I missed it three months ago,” Lillian said, causing Angelica to look up at her. “Not only because it’s been so long, but because we’ve always had so much _fun_ while performing with each other.” Ariana nodded in agreement.

 

“You guys...really miss it that much?” Angelica asked after a brief silence, trying to mask her feelings with a sheepish grin. The other two knew her too well.

 

“...No.” Was Ariana’s first response. “Well...kinda.”

 

Lillian didn’t even try to soften the blow. “Well...yeah.”

 

Angelica just watched as the other two stared at each other, debating on whether or not it would be a good idea to speak again. Angelica sat down.

 

“Sorry for…” she didn’t get far.

 

“Stop it!” Lillian joked, pointing a finger at her. “It’s not your fault, already!”

 

“Geli…” Ariana continued, “You couldn’t have controlled what happened as much as we couldn’t have either.” Angelica sighed.

 

“Yeah.” Lillian agreed, causing the other girl to hum after a while. Angelica looked down and picked the grass at her feet.

 

_I could have tried..._

 

**A/U: SOMEbody has a troubled past...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> m' gonna come back and edit this chptr bc the PC im using for this doesn't have grammarly :/


	4. Called to Korea

_When I used to work at my old dance studio, about 30% of the people who came in to attend classes- to watch their children, or to teach - would leave with at least two videos of me teaching in the class. Sometimes it would be three or four when Holidays or school breaks were approaching because I had a habit of becoming more lax at those times. One time at a studio Christmas performance a couple students managed to film_ seven videos _without me noticing! I still have no idea how they managed that..._

_And no matter how many times I told them to stop the videotaping, a minimum of three..."dance videos" I guess you could call them, were uploaded to YouTube each day. Eventually, I earned a reputation and got really web famous - I even got my own fan base again! ...Haha. I was so shocked at the times when random people would approach me on the street saying the really like my videos and dance style. "You're dancing is so beautiful and amazing, I love you!" they'd say. It was so embarrassingly funny..._

_Now I guess I'm kind of used to it, but even so...having nearly a million followers on four to six different accounts is kind of overwhelming. Sometimes I'd even see my own appearances on places like Facebook or Instagram. One time I even saw a gif of myself on Tumblr! I'm definitely less aggravated about it compared to the way I was before, but I still react the same way every time I hear of a 'new video'. I'm like; "Really...?"_

Two weeks later, Angelica was just finishing up her after-hours dance workout when a loud whoop resounded through the studio. She lifted her head and turned to the doorway, clipping back her curls. They tended to stick unpleasantly to her skin after she danced.

Sliding to the doorway, Angelica peeked her head out of the opening and around the wall.

A small crowd of students, staff, and parents were all standing around an iPad, cheering at whatever it was they were watching. Curious, Angelica left her spot and padded over to the group, no one realizing she was approaching the table.

"What's up?" Nearly all the heads snapped up at the sound of her voice. One of her students, who was the owner of the iPad, cursed under her breath and failed successfully at trying to turn the video off. The younger dancers were starting to complain about not being able to see properly.

"We're watching you!!" One of the youngest dancers said. Stella was five years old and looked up to Angelica as if she was the brightest person on the planet. As soon as she spoke up, the atmosphere instantly became cold and tense, a certain curly haired teenager struggling to remain calm.

"Oh, really?" Angelica said, smiling tightly. Some of her students and colleagues actually winced. "What exactly are you watching?"

"Look! Look!" Stella jumped up and down, pointing excitedly at the iPad on the table. She settled down a bit after the older girl gave her a pat on the head. Angelica took one glance at the screen and felt the anger rise in her throat.

"Three million views," she said tightly, struggling to control her volume. " _Three million_. Are you _serious?_ "

The crows of viewers shifted uncomfortably.

 _Good_. She thought, her jaw beginning to tighten. _Maybe they'll_ finally _start to look at me seriously for once._

"But Angelica, you're so good!" One of the ten-year-olds' said, the red hair and brown eyes belonging to a girl named Ruth. "I bet a bunch of celebrities will want to meet you now. Look at how famous you're getting!"

It was the wrong thing to say.

"I don't _want_ to get famous," she said to Ruth, spurring Tashi into action.

"Angie, I know you don't like this-"

"Don't _like_ it?"

"-but there's nothing wrong with a little recognition every now and then." she finished. "You should be grateful for it!" 

Angelica snapped.

"Oh, I should be _grateful_ for it, then?" she almost shouted, remembering just in time that there were children and parents in front of her. "So basically, you're telling me to be grateful for non-consented videos of me posted on the internet?"

Tashi wisely said nothing.

"Should I be grateful that our students and their parents think it's okay to take these videos of me teaching in the classroom when they might provoke my old contacts from when I used to perform?" Tashi just looked on, not speaking.

"Should I be grateful that some of my old fans might recognize me despite how I've changed? That they might want to start looking for me and spark an international pressure for me to start performing again even though I purposely quit? Should I be grateful for that? Tell me Tashi!" Angelica was nearly panting at her outburst, feeling slightly relieved at finally being able to express how she really felt. An awful silence fell into place, the only sounds being the music floating from some of the practice rooms, but even that seemed dim.

A deep ringtone shattered the quiet, everyone turning their heads to look at the front desk. Chiamanda (who was acting secretary) jumped at the sudden noise, and hastily answered the phone.

"Hello, front desk!" Chiamanda's expression went from cheerfully distracted to concerned a bit too fast for Angelica's liking. "Oh...yes...yes she's here...I can, certainly. One moment please..." She placed her hand on the speaker and looked nervously out to the crowd.

"It's...for Angelica." The girl before her twitched, and all eyes were on Angelica as she approached the front desk. It took all of her willpower not to march over and shatter the phone against the wall. Instead, she walked stiffly over to Chiamanda's place, unconsciously glaring at the woman before her as she took the phone and gripped it so tightly her hand turned white.

"...Hello?" Angelica bit down on her jaw to contain the anger she so desperately wanted to keep in her voice. A few shuffling noises resounded at the other end of the line.

"...oh! Yes hello, sorry." the person spoke with a heavy Asian accent, and Angelica found herself almost instantly interested as to who was on the other side. None of her friends or acquaintances spoke similarly...

"Is this Angelica Koka..." Absolutely no one outside of her family or close friend circle could even _read_ her last name properly let alone say it.

"Yes, that's me," she answered before the man could embarrass himself.

"Ah, yes. My name is Bang Shi Hyuk, the CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, and I am calling on behalf of the company." Angelica's eyes widened considerably and she immediately became sceptical, mouthing the words 'Big Hit' to Chiamanda.

Big Hit Entertainment was the record label company currently signing off one of South Korea's biggest rising boy band, BTS. Although Angelica wasn't 'cultured' enough to listen to their music herself, more than a few of her classmates had suggested their albums on the account of them being fans. It didn't really work, considering that Angelica had a profound distrust for whatever was currently mainstream...BTS just happened to fall into that category.

"Oh, um...how can I help you?" she asked, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she wondered what they wanted from her.

"I was wondering if you would be interested in a job offer," Bang said. "Temporary."

Well, her question was answered.

"What would I be doing?" Angelica responded, trying to keep her voice at normal volume, tapping on the table top to keep her nerves at bay.

"Our dance choreographer has fallen ill," Angelica raised her eyebrows. "And we have been having trouble finding a substitute who can compensate for the loss."

Angelica would have to be a brain-dead fool not to see where this was going.

"We, uh, Big Hit, were wondering if you would like to be Bang-Tan's temporary choreographer."

 

**A/U: Oooohh**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hnnnnnggg i took so long to post i am so sorry


	5. Choice Made; I Want to Go

_I was so shocked! After I received the call and spoke about it to some of my friends, nearly everyone I knew would approach me saying I should take up the offer! Even teachers and students at my school would approach me with encouragement, which made the decision just the tiniest bit more overwhelming...But what I had the hardest time with was thinking of a way to convince my parents to let me go, because even if I chose to take up the offer there was next to no chance they would allow me to travel across the ocean for a group of seven young kpop idols. They're much too strict._

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god-"

"LILLIAN." It was now three hours after Big Hit's call to Angelica's studio. After the phone was placed on the receiver she quickly explained everything to the people around her and practically sprinted home after packing up.

As soon as she stepped into her house, the girl picked up her phone and started a conference call between Ariana, Lillian, and herself. They had reacted a lot more positively than she thought they would.

"So...what do you think I should do?" Lillian's reply was immediate.

"Take up the offer!!" Angelica gulped.

"Lily..." Was all Ariana had to say, attempting to warn the spontaneous Portuguese girl about Angelica's feelings.

"What?" She responded, not finding the issue. "Okay, I know you have your issues with past performances, but that shouldn't affect you now. It's almost been two years!"

The call remained silent for a while.

"I think I should go," Angelica said after a breath. She bit her lip nervously, waiting for a response. Ariana sighed.

"If that's what you want," she said gently, worried about what was to come.

"This'll be great," Lillian confirmed, confident in her best friend. "We're behind you Geli!"

Angelica only hoped that the other people she knew would be just as supportive.

◆                                                                  ◆                                                                             ◆                                                                                  ◆

 

"No." Came her father's curt reply.

So apparently when Angelica was constantly told to be independent, it didn't include  _making her own damn choices._

"Dad," she began. "I want you to at  _least_   consider the opportunity I was given."

Sometimes talking professionally helped.

"It's in Korea!" He exclaimed dramatically, waving his arms about. "And you don't even know the language!"

At that moment, Angelica's mother, Mercedes, breezed into the dining room on her way to the kitchen. She looked at her husband, then to her daughter as she assessed the situation.

"What's going on?" She asked, just as Angelica's father began to walk away.

"She got a call from some company and now she wants to go to Korea!" Mercedes became concerned.

"What?" She looked back at her daughter, who was seething with frustration. Angelica looked like she was about to break something.

"When I was at work today, there was a call at the front desk that was directed to me by the record label company Big Hit Entertainment." She tried to explain. Her mother frowned.

"Why did they send a call for you?"  _Ouch._  Angelica took a deep breath.

"They want me to be a temporary dance instructor for one of their bands," she explained. "Their regular choreographer isn't feeling very well at the moment."

"Why not?" Her mother countered.

"I don't know, they didn't give me any details," Angelica responded, the pit of her stomach beginning to boil. "I'm pretty sure the reasons are personal."

"But I don't understand," Mercedes pressed. "Why did they call  _you_?"

"That's what I'm saying!" Her father interjected. "They could have anybody!"

"But they want  _me_." Angelica almost snapped, feeling for the first time in a while how fiercely she wanted to stand beside seasoned performers again. No one was going to take this dreamlike opportunity away.

_No one._

"In case you forgot, I'm everywhere on the internet because of my dancing."

Her father rounded on her, jabbing a finger at his daughter's face. "No, you're everywhere on the internet because you want attention, and because you have ignorant students." He said.

Angelica was trembling in fury at the accusations being made on her students. Her father knew no bounds and rejected all types of reason.

"This is the wrong kind of attention to seek." His daughter remained furiously quiet.

"She wouldn't be anywhere if she didn't have the talent," Mercedes said gently.

 _Thank you, mother_. Angelica thought.  _Dear god..._

Arthur, her father, turned to face his wife.

"You want to send her to Korea?" He asked her. "Fine, go ahead...see how well she does for herself there."

He walked out of the dining room and slammed the door to the bedroom he shared with his wife. Both women sighed at his theatrics and turned to look at each other. A brief pause hung in the air.

Angelica was afraid to even blink.

"...So you really want to go?" Mercedes finally asked. Angelica nodded a little too quickly for her fatigued brain to handle. "Even after what happened last time?"

Angelica froze.

"Actually, I..." She didn't know what to say. "I've been thinking about that a lot recently."

"Oh, really?" Her mother sounded a little disbelieving. Angelica swallowed the bruising on her emotional scar.

"Yeah, I have. I talked about the call with Lillian and Ariana, and they both agreed that now's the time I get over it." Mercedes stared into her daughter's eyes, then walked into the kitchen.

"I want all the information first." Was all Angelica heard before things starting clanging horrifically about.

Two hours later, Angelica and her parents were sitting on the living room couch as she attempted to call Big Hit's manager back. It was the fourth time in attempting to get through, and the curly haired teen was having a tough time remaining calm with her siblings screaming at the Mario Kart game they had. Her ten-year-old sister was currently cackling at their older brother's misfortune.

 _God, they're so annoying_ , she thought, just as her parents began to comment on Big Hit's apparent refusal to pick up the phone.

"Just leave it," her father complained, still not very keen on his daughter travelling  _anywhere_  out of the country. Angelica ignored him.

"Let her try one more time." Her mother replied, wanting this whole thing to be over with as quickly as possible. Angelica sat nervously on the couch leather, her pulse increasing with each ring.

She was just about ready to explode when the receiver picked up and a voice crackled through the speaker.

"안녕하세요?" Angelica blinked. She took a breath and decided to go for confidence.

"Hi, this is Angelica Koka-Puziarski. I'm returning a call sent to me by..." she glanced down to the sheet of paper where the manager's name had been written. "...Bang Shi Hyuk, about the open position for a temporary dance instructor?"

The person on the other end of the line remained silent for a while, then responded with enthusiasm.

"Oh! Yes, yes. Nice to meet you Miss Koka. Unfortunately, our manager is not available at the moment, can I take your call?" the woman asked. Angelica swallowed.

"I was actually wondering if you could answer some questions." She responded.

"Sure, go ahead!"

"Alright..." she looked at the questions she had written in one of her many notebooks. "First...who exactly am I going to be working with?"

"You will be working with one of the newer bands, known as Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boys. In the West, they are known as BTS."

"How long will I be working with them?"

"It could be anywhere between a couple weeks to a few months. We haven't completely worked out the statistics yet." The woman answered. Angelica bit her lip at the news. That was  _long_.

"If I were to accept the offer, where would I be staying?" The sound of ruffling papers made it to Angelica's ears.

"You will have a choice between staying at a paid hotel or a small apartment across from the band's own."

 _Not a hotel, definitely._ Angelica thought to herself. She'd definitely lose the key card by at least the third day...the third week if she was lucky.

The only convenience about hotels was the endless amount of hot water for bathing. Angelica always ended up using the hot water before she could finish her showers because of the way she'd just stand under the water.

Angelica wondered briefly about what the atmosphere would be like if she actually decided to live beside the band. And what if her usage of the water in the building somehow affected them?

It made her nervous just thinking about it...

"This is a very strange question, but will there be a kitchen in that room?" She tried to swallow her embarrassment when she heard the lady laugh and her mother snort. Angelica's stomach fluttered and clenched at the same time, some of the tension releasing - at least she wasn't upset.

"Not a large one, I'm afraid. But if you were to accept the offer I'm sure Bang-Tan wouldn't mind sharing their own kitchen with you." Angelica hummed and sighed under her breath.

"Now...I'm personally uncomfortable asking these questions..." The woman patiently waited.

"But I'd like to discuss the financial situations." She was met with a light agreement, and after a breath continued her interview.

"In terms of getting there, will the flight be paid for, or...?"

"The flight will be paid for, and the dorm expenses such as utilities and the like, but any public transit or extra-curricular needs must be provided by your own finances." Angelica nodded - that seemed reasonable.

"Will I be working, directly with the band..?" the woman answered faster than Angelica was able to blink. "Yes, you and you alone will be their teacher."

Angelica inwardly huffed and bit her lip at her situation. She  _really_ wanted to dance with these people...see how they moved and to calculate their strengths. 

Getting to teach them was just a bonus.

"Just a minute, please." The girl said, dropping her cell phone to her thigh. Angelica looked over at her parents, taking a moment before relaying the information she was just given.

Arthur sighed and looked away, rubbing his wife's shoulders and setting his mouth into a grim line. Said wife remained silent, considering their daughter.

"Do you really want to go?" That question held more weight than Angelica would have ever been able to admit. She could feel it pressing down on her heart.

"Because if you don't want to -"

"No! I want to. I want to, I really do." Mercedes remained silent at her daughter, who was currently so close to the edge of the couch it was rather surprising she hadn't fallen off yet. She sighed at the turn of events, Angelica's lips remaining sealed.

"I can't believe you're going to just let her go." Her father complained.

 _I'm still here_. Angelica retorted in her mind.

"Before when I went to Vancouver, none of you had any problems." She almost snapped.

"You were in  _Canada_  then still." Her father whined, and Angelica had to fight the urge to correct his English, letting it slide since it wasn't his first language. "And it was only for two weeks!"

"Leave her alone, for God's sake!" Mercedes interjected. "She's made up her mind and wants to go, so what can we do?"

Arthur sighed dramatically at his wife's words and rolled his eyes, lips stiffening.

"Fine." He said. "Send her." Then, after two minutes of silence; "See how she does."

Angelica and her mother shared a knowing look.

"She shouldn't be going-"

" _Okay!_  We get it, thank you." Mercedes cut him off, finally having enough.

Angelica remained silent as her parents bickered, and sat staring at the notes she had taken down. Her thoughts wandered to the woman on the other line, and she took a breath.

"Ma'am?" The woman responded. "I'd like to accept. When do I start?"

 

**A/N: its hApPeNINg**


	6. Choice Made; I Want to Go

"You sure you have everything?"

"Ask me that again, and I swear Lill I'll - "

"Jesus!" Lillian responded with a laugh. "Alright!"

Ariana, who was currently multitasking by eavesdropping and flipping Angelica's clothes around to check her luggage, turned her head when she heard the curly girl snap.

"You didn't have to talk like that," she said, looking her best friend in the eye. Angelica felt her insides curl.

"But - !" She tried, sighing and attempting to find the right words. "If you heard how many times my family has asked me that in the past  _week_  -"

"That doesn't matter." Ariana cut in before the other girl could rant. Then, when she noticed how Angelica deflated a little; "No excuses!"

Angelica laughed and clapped her hands, triggering Lillian into mocking her and clapping like a seal.

"You're so  _mean!_ " She cried between fits of laughter, earning a shout from her parents to quiet down.

After the girls managed to calm themselves, Angelica finally zipped her last bag closed and silently looked around her room for the last time. Her two best friends awkwardly stared, trying to bury themselves in her thoughts.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Ariana asked her, trying to be casual. Angelica smirked at the effort, knowing how they felt.

"Just..." she looked around at her room. "It looks so empty..." She scoffed at herself, wondering if the tension could possibly get any thicker - you could almost  _see_  the awkward.

"I'll fill it up, don't worry." A voice said. The trio swivelled their heads to the bedroom door, a little girl nearly half their age standing by the frame. Her arms were crossed.

Angelica laughed at her younger sister, holding out an arm for her to run into.

"Just don't make it messy, okay?" She said, looking down fondly at the younger girl. Her sister scoffed.

"I won't," she whined, almond eyes blinking. "Probably."

Angelica smirked, arching an eyebrow at her sister. Sonia Koka-Puziarski had a birthday in August, which was in three weeks (August, not her birthday). She was currently nine years old, and when Angelica announced at the dinner table that she was leaving for South Korea at the end of June, all she could say was; "You're going to miss my birthday!"

Their brother (whom Angelica would probably never name unless there was a person on the brink of death), simply said; "Cool."

She was glad to be leaving him behind.

"Are you really going?" Sonia asked for what seemed like the hundredth time, snapping her older sister out of her reverie. Angelica gave a quiet sigh.

" _Yes_ , Sonia. I am."

"But whyyy..."

"Because I want to dance with other people," Angelica responded. Sonia gave her a look.

"You can dance with other people here!" She complained, failing to notice how her older sister clenched her jaw. Ariana, however, did notice and cut in before the argument could escalate.

"She wants to dance with  _new_  other people." The other two teens in the room looked at her strangely.

" _New_  other people?" Lillian asked, a grin spreading on both her's and Angelica's faces. Ariana tried to hide her embarrassment behind a smile.

"Yes, new other people." She giggled. "Don't patronize me, woman!" Everyone laughed.

And Angelica knew, with an aching clarity in her chest, that this was what she was going to miss the most about her leaving.

_I think the hardest part about leaving my country was that I was never going to see my friends and family until I was finished...and that turned out to be months. Months without seeing my sister or talking to my closest friends both in and out of school, no more bickering or joking with my parents...by the time I finished the dance workshops with the band or ended a performance on one of the world's stages, I was exhausted and it was either too late or too early to call anybody I knew...a thirteen hour time difference can do that to you._

_Anyways, we all took the drive to the airport; my two best friends and my immediate family. Even Ariana's family and Lillian's parents came along! It was kind of shocking, but also really pleasant at the same time._

_A lot of goodbyes were exchanged, and my sister almost cried._

_I said goodbye to Ariana and Lillian by the gate, since they insisted on walking me as far as they could go. The three of us cried a lot and hugged until it was almost five minutes 'till my flight time. I didn't want them to let go...so far everything we did and everywhere we went was done together as a team. It was the first time I had done something so huge by myself._

_Later the girls told me that they stayed at the airport until they couldn't see my flight in the sky anymore...Aha, thanks. Sorry..._

_So, Ariana said that she didn't stop crying until even after she got back to her house. Lillian didn't talk about tears at all really...she just kept saying how much she missed me._

 

By the time the flight was over, Angelica was so jet-lagged from the length of stillness and air travel that she nearly fell back into her seat once she attempted to stand.

Anything above a four-hour flight, she discovered, was ridiculously draining.

After sitting for about thirteen hours in that damn plane, Angelica was  _more_  than ready to move around. She had a sudden impulse to quite literally throw all her remaining energy at a leather punching bag (she hated the fabric ones, they scabbed her hands). Angelica craved the feeling of her knuckles against a solid object.

After retrieving her luggage, Angelica turned on her phone and changed the time zone. The clock on the screen flashed, changing its numbers to nine-thirty in the morning.

 _Goddamn_ , she thought to herself, remembering how the flight had taken off at seven-thirty in the morning EST. That had been a long damn flight. And she was more than ready to eat proper food, wondering for the umpteenth time if BTS would actually share a kitchen with her.

Angelica opened up her contacts to call Big Hit when she saw a young woman approach her out of the corner of her eye.

"Excuse me..." she said, making Angelica turn to her directly with an earbud dangling out of her head. It took a while for the girl to recognize the woman's voice.

"Oh! Hello." Angelica said, looking slightly surprised. A slow grin spread timidly on her face. "You're the woman I spoke to on the phone, right?"

"That was me," her English was almost  _perfect_. "My name is Jisoo. I'm going to be your escort to your apartment and through the city."

Angelica did her best to listen to Jisoo above the muttering of the passengers in the airport. People entering gates, people exiting gates, families greeting loved ones hello or waving them goodbye. Friends giving hugs, friends shedding tears, and the sound of  _footsteps_...it was hard to pay attention with her already jet-lagged brain.

Jisoo was currently in the middle of a monologue about Seoul, the capital of South Korea when Angelica started to realize that she was in another country because she couldn't read any of the signs.

 _Jesus_.

This was scary.

As Jisoo spoke, the woman led Angelica on a brisk walk to the parking lot in the basement of the airport, where she had left her car: A fancy looking Mercedes. They got in and began to drive just as Jisoo finished explaining paychecks and extracurricular expenses.

"How..." Angelica wasn't sure how to ask this. "What is my schedule going to look like?"

"You will be with the boys for about two hours a day," Jisoo replied. "And you're free to teach them however you wish."

Angelica blinked in surprise.  _As long as it's legal_ , she thought and made a mental note to ask BTS what they were comfortable doing.

After a few minutes of driving in silence, Jisoo decided to make small announcements about certain restaurants that sold good food and small coffee shops Angelica could go to if she ever found the time.

Which might have been unlikely. But still, it was nice to know.

"About the kitchen," Angelica said. "Are you sure the band will let me use it?"

Jisoo took a while to respond, pulling into another lane.

"Is it that important?" she asked, causing the girl in the seat beside her to become hyper-aware of the knot in her stomach.

"...I like to cook." Jisoo looked as if she was trying not smile.

"Do you?" She asked. "I thought most young people liked the easy way to food."

"I guess I'm different," Angelica mumbled, just as Jisoo pulled in front of a large building.

Big Hit Entertainment Studio.

After Jisoo assured the young girl that even if she couldn't use the band's kitchen and that the staffs' was more than open, she led her into the building so the dancer could familiarize herself with the layout. Jisoo showed her the bathrooms, the vocal and recording studio BTS spent most of their time in, and then all the staff quarters she would probably need to enter at some point. Once she was sure Angelica would remember where to go, Jisoo took the girl to the practice room.

"Go ahead," she said, unlocking the door and pulling it open so the girl could go inside. Angelica's eyes widened and she nearly lost her breath.

The dance studio was huge, and upon first sight, Angelica wasn't able to decide between running to the middle of the room and spreading her arms to spin around, or to stay by the door so as not to disturb the quiet energy it breathed with. The lights glared almost too brightly and reflected on crystal-like mirrors, but since Angelica was so used to that particular type of brightness it hardly bothered her.

She was mostly disturbed by how the ceiling, walls, and floor were such a distinct white. Angelica wanted to splatter them with red paint and was slightly disappointed that she couldn't.

"Wow..." she breathed, taking a shy step inside, unable to resist the urge of wanting a better look. "It's so big."

She turned back to Jisoo, who had a pleasant smile on her face. "I can't  _wait_  to dance in here."

"Do you like it that much?" Jisoo was unable to keep herself from smiling. She was happy the young girl had found some sort of anchor in a country so unfamiliar to her.

"I love it." Angelica breathed. "When do I get started?"

"Your enthusiasm is highly appreciated," Jisoo said, flashing her an open smile, watching with a sense of peace as the curly girl was unable to take her eyes off the room. "But I think it would be best if we got you settled in first."

 

**A/U: *inHaLE* SHIT HERE WE GO ITS PICKING UP**

**also thank you so much to the ppl who have the patience and interest to read this story, im super passionate about it.7**

**and thank you to the guests and users who gave me kudos!! it lets me know u guys like the story and want me to continue (HOLY FUCK GUYS SOME OF YOU GAVE ME  K UD OS)**


	7. Bumping Into Futures

            The drive towards the apartment building was strangely quiet, mostly because Jisoo had noticed how Angelica kept falling asleep. She chose to drive carefully, trying to keep the car's movements as smooth as possible.

Ten minutes later, Angelica found herself waking up in an underground parking lot, a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Koka..." Angelica forced herself to wake. She looked around, taking in the dark surroundings and the overwhelming stench of gasoline. She felt her throat close up, making her want to puke.

_Goddammit._

Angelica got out of the car and retrieved her luggage with Jisoo's help, who then led the way to the elevator. Once inside, she pressed a button and they began to ascend.

 _This is so weird,_  Angelica thought, looking about the small space in an attempt to keep herself awake. There wasn't really much to look at, to begin with though.  _The places look different...but it still feels like I haven't left._  She guessed that being in Korea had only partially settled in.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, urging both women to walk briskly forwards- Jisoo because she had other things to do, and Angelica because the tension in her gut had settled back in again. They were about a quarter down the hallway when a group of young men suddenly burst out from one of the dorms, all shouting and speaking a flurry of Korean. And although Jisoo kept walking forwards, it took everything in Angelica's being to keep from freezing on the spot when she saw them.

She could count more than four boys, the whole group lightly jostling each other towards the elevators that she and Jisoo had just exited.

 _Jesus, these boys are TALL._  They were all at least three heads taller than her, and Angelica had to raise her chin just to see their faces. Just as she began to stare, Jisoo spoke to her.

"Come this way, please." The girl quickly obliged, following Jisoo down the hallway towards her waiting living space.

Three of the boys bowed slightly to Jisoo, showing their respects, and turned to look curiously at Angelica. She tried not to shrink under their gaze, becoming all too aware of how her body began to heat up.

Her back was starting to sweat.

Jisoo returned the pleasantries to each of the boys as they came out from the door. They began to group up together in front of the two young women, standing in the middle of the hallway. Angelica was vaguely aware that they might be blocking other people who would want to pass through.

Jisoo exchanged a few words with the boys, who raised their eyebrows and cast fleeting glances at Angelica after a small pause. They seemed to have come to an understanding.

"Oh, hello!" One of them said to her, making the other boys laugh. Angelica stared at him, unsure of how to react. She flicked her eyes to his friends (she assumed they were), then to Jisoo, and back to the boy in front of her.

"Hello, I'm your hope!" he tried again, making Angelica feel bad for remaining impassive. She released the grip on her luggage and extended her arm. The boy was confused for a second, then shook her hand.

"Hi, I'm your...Angel?" Jisoo and the boys chuckled at her response. Angelica sucked in her lips nervously, feeling awkward and confused. She turned to Jisoo for some sort of help- the boy who had called himself her hope hadn't let go of her hand.

After a few more minutes, Jisoo finally ended their conversation and said goodbye. The boys bowed to her and gave little waves to Angelica as they left. Hope-boy shook her hand one last time, bowed slightly, and waved goodbye. Just as Angelica turned and started to follow Jisoo, she peeked over her shoulder to glance one more time at the boys who were in the elevator, catching the eye of the one with the short black hair, just as the doors closed and muffled the sound of their laughter.

"This," Jisoo said, unlocking a door and pushing it inside, taking no notice of how Angelica's eyes considerably widened. "Is where you will be staying."

The room wasn't huge per say, but it was bigger than the room she had left behind to her sister in Canada, and it was her own. A Queen-sized mattress on a simple bedframe with futon covers lay by the left wall, a small desk of drawers sat beside it also on its left side. On top of the drawers were a digital clock and a lamp. Directly to her right was a closed door that led to the bathroom, complete with a tub and shower.  _It's pretty western..._

After the bathroom was the kitchen, complete with cabinets, drawers, a fridge, a sink and four stove burners. There was also a nicely crafted counter that she could sit on if she wanted to, with a mysteriously closed door on the right-hand side of the windows. When she walked in further, Angelica found a large wardrobe on the left wall by her bed. The rest of the room was an empty space - the window currently blocking out sunlight with the heavy curtains. They revealed quite a view once Angelica pulled them back.

Down below, the streets of Seoul were filled with cars and people, the occasional horn going off at irregular intervals. The city looked like a giant ant colony- the citizens everywhere on the sidewalks, hailing taxis, walking in and out of stores either alone or with others. A pair of young women met up on the sidewalk, hugged, and walked into a restaurant. And when Angelica looked to her right, she found that the door on the wall led to - oh man,  _a balcony_.

"How do you like it?" Jisoo asked her. Angelica turned to her, face in subtle awe.

"It's  _perfect._ " She said, nearly giving into the urge of running to her escort to hug her and dancing around the room. "I love it! Thank you so much, its- this is amazing." Angelica couldn't find the words to express herself. "It's the first time I've had any type of room for myself so...yeah. Thank you."

"It was no trouble," Jisoo said, smiling as if she had a secret. "It was easier than getting a hotel room for your time here though if I'm being honest." Angelica laughed suddenly, the joke taking her by surprise. Jisoo's brow shot up at the volume of her laugh and watched as the girl put down her bags to rest her shoulders.

"When do I start working?" she asked after Jisoo commented that she had 'quite a loud laugh'.

"Ah, yes. You will be given two full days of rest to familiarize yourself with the city and your workspace." Angelica was surprised she was being given some time to rest, let alone  _two days_.

 _Maybe it's because I'm young,_  she thought, rubbing her stomach in an effort to release the pent-up tension in her gut at the thought of traversing Seoul alone when she couldn't speak Korean. "Will I be given an escort to the city, or...?"

"I'll discuss that with you later- you actually have some food in your fridge, in case you're hungry." Angelica flicked her eyes to the humming article by the kitchen doorway. "Do you have any more questions?"

"How long is the dance studio open for?" The answer was; until eleven. "I guess I'm out of questions for now."

"Alright," Jisoo began to rummage through her purse as she spoke "If you should remember any other questions you would like to ask me, business or otherwise..." she handed the girl a business card. "You can call me between eight-thirty and nine-forty-five pm on weekdays only. If you have an emergency that can't wait, then you can call me on the weekend." Angelica took the card, and bid Jisoo farewell before closing the door. She suddenly became aware of how large and empty the room was compared to the one she shared with Sonia at home.

 _It's so quiet..._ the girl wandered over to the large apartment window and looked out onto the large skyscrapers and empty blue sky. It was cloudless today...and the streets were so large and crammed with people that it made the young dance teacher feel small.

 _Seoul..._ she thought.  _Now I see how it's different._  Angelica turned away from the window, knelt by the window and began to unpack. By the time she finished filling the room with her belongings, she was so jet-lagged that she couldn't be bothered to feel hungry.

Angelica Koka-Puziarski, fifteen and newly arrived in South Korea, fell asleep as soon as she felt the pillow on her face.


	8. Stock Up!  Second Day in Seoul

             The sunlight was gentle- for about nine in the morning- and filtered quite nicely between the gaps in the curtains.

Angelica's eyelids slowly drifted apart, her body somehow ending up on its stomach some time during the night. The girl squinted at the clock by the bed, confused at the furnishing.

 _What the...how-_  Then it clicked, the memories of the past day flooding into her mind.

 _I'm - in - Seoul!_  Angelica thought, sitting up on her knees to stretch her back, arms in the air. She resisted the urge to listen for the tell-tale crashing of her mother in the kitchen. Her family wasn't here with her, and there was no house kitchen, no living room, and no dining room. Just a small counter with four burners, a sink, some wooden cabinets, and a few drawers. And a fridge.

Angelica gazed out the window before crawling off the bed and going to check what food had been supplied to her.

Nothing but noodle cups.

"But I want breakfast..." she pouted to herself, rubbing away the sleep from one of her eyes. Angelica turned away from the fridge, deciding next to check the kitchen for supplies. The cabinets (surprisingly) had plates and a few glasses. The drawers were empty.

"Hm..." Angelica stood there and wondered about what to do with the abundance of space in her new kitchen.

 _I know for a fact that I'm not eating fucking ramen for breakfast._  She went back to her suitcases and travel bags, rummaging around through the side pockets and openings in search for... _Aha._

A chocolate flavored cereal bar; one of the last four she had packed with her, out of habit from the times she used to travel around Canada for various competitions, showcases, and conventions, when her money was all spent and the wait time before she got to eat a proper meal extended a five hour limit. Angelica held it up to the morning light, watching as the wrapper glittered in the sun. Then she brought it back down, tore it open and took a hefty bite.

Not exactly a gourmet breakfast, but it would have to do.

Angelica looked around the room, wondering about how she should spend her time.  _A full day of rest!_  She never even got  _one_  day to herself back home, let alone two.

"...Gonna fuck up my game..." she said to herself between bites. The bar tasted kind of bland.

What the hell was she supposed to do? Wrap the bed covers around herself and do the tango? Angelica snorted and looked over at the window, the sunlight still teasing her.

 _Let's open up the curtains first._  She thought, rising from her knees to pull them back, fully aware of the AC going almost at full blast so she couldn't open the windows.

As soon as the curtains were opened, the sunlight burst into her new living space, dyeing everything in the room with a gentle gold.

 _God...this feels so nice..._ Angelica closed her eyes, the sunlight warm on her face.

Since she was going to be about as free as a bird for the next day (her phone calendar had shown her that the girl had actually slept for an entire day after being shown up to her dorm, instead of the few hours that any normal person would do), she decided to make a list of things she was going to need for her stay.  _'More food'_  was underlined and written at the very top. Next came  _'cutlery, mugs and bowls'_  followed by  _'cooking items', 'dish soap'_ and  _'a sponge'_ , and after a moment's hesitation she put ' _baking items'_ ,  _'oven mitts',_ and _'an apron'_  before coming to a sudden realization.

 _Oh, but...no Korean._  Angelica hastily scribbled down  _KOREAN LESSONS_ in capital letters on the bottom and underlined it three times.

Satisfied with her current list, she gazed over to the bathroom and came to a decision. Angelica was going to do something she hadn't done properly since she was a little girl.

Take a bath.

⚫                                           ⚫                                                ⚫                                                      ⚫                                                     ⚫                                                   ⚫

 

             After about an hour or so, Angelica decided that it was probably going to be a good idea to get out of the water- her fingers and toes were starting to get all pruney from spending too much time in the bath. She didn't mind it, per say, but took it as a signal to finish her soak.

Sighing, Angelica slowly rose from the warm water, shivering almost instantly against the cool air of the bathroom.

"Ugh...it's so  _warm_." She grabbed a towel after pulling out the plug and proceeded to sulk until the water level had dropped to her ankles. After she dried off, Angelica checked the time to see what she could do next. The clock read twelve-thirty; for such a short time Angelica had never felt more relaxed in her life. She re-checked her list, remembering with a start that she hadn't stretched her muscles for the past day and a half.

"Aaah..." Mocking a scream, she jogged over to the closet to pull out her dance clothes. Once changed, she set herself up on the floor and began to warm up.

She had just finished her vertical splits and was lying around comfortably with her legs stretched out when someone knocked on her door. Angelica paused, debating on whether or not to answer the door when the knob turned. A surge of fear and embarrassment at being caught in a split caused the girl to jump to her feet. The door slowly opened, only to reveal Jisoo, who was armed with her purse and car keys.

Both women paused.

"Good morning," Jisoo said, remaining by the doorway and acting as if she didn't just walk in on Angelica in a clingy tank top and tight shorts. The girl said nothing.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me for lunch." Angelica, try as she might, couldn't have hidden the sparkle in her eye at the mention of food if she was wearing a sleeping mask.

"Yes please," she answered. "Oh! But...I don't have any money." All Angelica had on her were a couple of twenty dollar bills from Canada that she carried around with her for emergencies. Jisoo cracked a smile.

"That's alright. I'll treat you just this once, but you'll have to treat me back." She winked at Angelica, making the girl chuckle as she pulled a thin hoodie over her dance outfit. With a start, she realized that since she was heading into town with Jisoo, she might as well seize the chance to go window shopping.

"Do you know of any stores that sell these items?" Angelica asked, showing the older woman her shopping list. As Jisoo squinted at the paper, Angelica suddenly remembered that she might not be able to read English.

_Wait-_

"There are a few stores that have the items you're looking for, and luckily they happen to be just by the restaurant that I was going to take you to," Jisoo answered, making Angelica release a sigh.  _So she can read English...huh._  "Is this really all you need?"

"Well, I won't have any extra money to spend when I first start working, so I'm just focusing on basic necessities." Jisoo chuckled. "What?"

"You're really set out on cooking."


	9. First Time at the Market

           Angelica stood nervously between the aisles.

"So...how exactly are you going to pay for this?" Jisoo asked, making the pit in Angelica's stomach grow as she looked over.

"Well...I was just thinking that I'd use some of the money I brought with me from Canada," she began, feeling more confident as the words fell out of her. "But the reason I brought that money with me was in case of an emergency." _I also have no idea how much a dollar from Canada is worth here._ Jisoo was quiet for a moment.

"How about this," she said. "You pay for as much as you can with a single Canadian twenty, and I'll pay for the rest." Angelica could hardly believe she'd heard it.

"Really?"

"Of course," Jisoo said. "That way you'll owe me two favors!" She pointed the younger girl towards a pack of women's blockers - night use. Angelica chewed on her lip as she made a tally chart in her head of the favors she owed Jisoo. First a meal, and now a shopping spree.

_Great._

"Sorry about this," she said, trying not to get too excited as she picked up a rather nice sponge. Jisoo just shook her head.

"Don't be," she said. "I'm not as stiff as most people here." Angelica paused.

"Where were you born?" she asked, dropping the word _exactly_ from the sentence so as not to offend Jisoo.

"Saskatchewan." Angelica nearly choked.

"You're from _Canada?_ " she squeaked, causing Jisoo to laugh.

"Where did you think I was from?" she asked, dropping a package of cutlery into the shopping cart. Stainless steel; Angelica silently approved.

"I don't know...America?" Angelica guessed, Jisoo giving her a sideways glance. "I'm just surprised because not very many people who become successful that I know of like you are born there...they usually all come from the States or something." Angelica hoped that she didn't sound as stupid as she thought she did.

Jisoo remained silent and pushed the cart down the aisle, helping the young dancer to pick out more items she would need for her new living space, crossing out a considerable amount of items on her list.

Angelica hoped she hadn't insulted her.

After they were able to track down most of the needed utilities, Jisoo took Angelica into a separate shop to find the rest of the kitchen utensils.

As they walked through the automatic doors, Angelica stuck closely to her escort and looked around.

The store was small, but not excessively tiny, as about three bookshelves were able to stand within comfortable distances with each other. The cashiers were stationed on either side of the store, the one on the right standing straight at attention while her co-worker leaned on the counter and scrolled through her phone.

Jisoo huffed disapprovingly to the employee on the left but acted otherwise pleasant as she passed by. Angelica made a mental note to stay _away_ from her sketchbooks and journals during her work hours, especially if a Big Hit employee was around.

Then she saw the kitchen aisle.

Stainless steel pots and pans with plastic handles and a lightweight, spoons for soup and spaghetti, knife sharpeners and cutting boards. Angelica walked purposefully up and down the aisles, dropping the desired items in her basket and tried unsuccessfully to keep herself from running around whenever she spotted something new. Jisoo laughed every time she got particularly excited, watching as she jumped up and down between the aisles.

Once everything on Angelica's list that could be found at a store was purchased., Jisoo helped her load everything into the trunk of her car. The door shut with a satisfying thud. _Finally_.

"So," Angelica began, pulling on her seatbelt. A bundle of nerves settled in her stomach at the prospect of accidentally wasting too much time in the markets. "What now?"

"Now..." Jisoo said, rummaging through her purse for the car keys and turning them in the ignition. "I take you to lunch."

 

"I _still_ can't believe we have enough time," Angelica mumbled from her place at the table, choosing to sit on her hands in an effort to keep her nerves at bay. Jisoo sat across from her, somehow managing to hear her over the crowds of people and keep her reaction to a simple grin.

"We have twenty minutes," she said, looking casually into her menu. Angelica's throat clenched.

"...I'm joking," Jisoo assured, after looking up and seeing how the girl looked as if someone had told her they had just set a bomb off inside a senior apartment. Angelica relaxed, if only slightly.

After a while of looking around, Angelica focused back on Jisoo, shifting her hands from beneath her thighs.

"So, what are the members of the band like?" She couldn't remember the full name the band used and felt like only saying 'BTS' was slightly unprofessional. Jisoo looked up from her menu, having memorized her order and Angelica's (who couldn't read Korean), and set it down on the table.

"How interested are you?" She asked, folding her own hands and leaning forwards across the table in a way that made Angelica's gut clench. She shifted nervously in her seat.

"...Pretty interested."

"Alright," Jisoo said, leaning back in an effort to get the girl to calm down. _She's kind of touchy..._ "What would you like to know first about them?"

Angelica thought back to the encounter in the hallway, curiously shifting her eyes around.

"First," she began. "Have I met them before?"

Jisoo's eyes glittered. "You have." _Thought so._

"What is it?"

"Nothing, just..." Angelica sighed quietly and looked away, trying to find a nice way of how to put it. "They looked kinda..."

"Intimidating?" Jisoo asked gently.

" _Terrifying,_ " Angelica said, snapping her head back to the woman before her. _There goes being gentle about it._

Jisoo, to her credit, remained impassive.

"They may look that way, but they are actually all very friendly," she said, aware of how Angelica kept her gaze fixed on her face. Jisoo lowered her eyes, in an effort to remain casual. It seemed to help with the young dancer's nerves. "They all have siblings, and are really very kind once you get to know them." She paused, taking a sip of the iced water provided on the table.

"But I think you should get to discover that yourself."

Angelica remained silent, contemplating on Jisoo's choice to keep the stories of the band members a secret, and found her respect growing for the businesswoman across the table.

"And besides," Jisoo said, eyeing the waiter that came round with their dishes. "I think you just need some food."

 

As Angelica unloaded the trunk of her groceries, Jisoo having driven her to the dorm after they finished their meals at the restaurant, she mentally ran through the route to her room on the seventh floor. After all the bags were in her arms and she was standing in front of the entrance to the building, Jisoo took off in her car towards Big Hit's main building, after explaining to Angelica she still had work to attend to and exchanging farewells.

Angelica watched as she pulled out of the lot and drove away, the plastic bags shifting in her arms.

They were heavy. 

 

**A/N:**

**Guys, Grammarly is my best fucking friend right now omG. Also im not rlly writing jisoo properly and im kinda pissed...**


	10. F.O.E - First Official Encounter

            After Angelica finally made it to the elevator she set the bags on the floor to rest her arms. It had been about two weeks since her last work out session, and her arms were frustratingly tired. The elevator reached its destination much too quickly for Angelica to recover at all, forcing her to haul the bags out of the doors. Once she was outside, the bags abruptly twisted themselves around Angelica's wrists, causing her stumble to the ground. She barely heard the door ahead of her open, too busy in attempting to free herself. She cursed under her breath after attempting to rise, the bags succeeding only in further entangling themselves, keeping her on the floor.

Right when Angelica was just about ready to give up and fucking _somersault_  to her apartment, someone extended their hand to help. Looking up, she found that she recognized the dark haired boy...it was the band member with the shortest hair. She gazed at his hair, finding it was a nice shade of ebony black, and it shone in the hallway lights.

"도움이 필요하세요?" Angelica blinked. Suddenly remembering that she couldn't understand Korean, the boy became flustered and gestured to her bags. He forced out some English.

"You...help?" Angelica snapped out of her daze, her brain no longer frozen from the bubbly words he had originally used.

"Oh!" She said, watching as he hesitantly reached forwards to detangle the bags from her wrists. "Um...sure." The boy tugged some of the bags from her hands when she hesitated in giving them to him and gave her a kind smile. Judging from the way he shuffled on his feet, Angelica guessed that he probably believed he was being too forward.

After the boy accompanied her down the hall to the door of her dorm, she noticed how he seemed surprised at where it was located, and suddenly remembered that the door he had exited from was across the hall...

"Thank you." She murmured shyly, taking the bags from him after she opened the door. The boy nodded his head with a quiet smile and tipped forward in a bow. Angelica timidly copied him and dipped her head forwards, then scurried into her room and closed the door.

The boy waited until the door was safely shut before heading towards the elevator.

⚫                                   ⚫                                       ⚫                                           ⚫                                        ⚫                                        ⚫                                        ⚫

 

The next day, Angelica woke up at her usual time of six-thirty and was ready to leave when she glanced at her clock, suddenly remembering that the first dance lesson with BTS wasn't for the next  _four hours_.

Frustrated, Angelica huffed and let go of her hair (which she had just been in the middle of tying back into a ponytail) and set down her dance bag. Twenty minutes later, she had dressed down to a pair of black shorts, a white t-shirt, and her school Drama sweater.

As Angelica contemplated on how to pass the time, she plugged in her phone to the wall so it would be fully charged by the time she needed to leave. Then she stared at her bedside clock.

 _Hmm..._ Back home, whenever she couldn't sleep, Angelica would either take a shower or go outside to her backyard and go through some martial art forms and practice. _But here..._

She didn't want to think about any neighbors angrily banging on her door to keep her thumping about to herself. Or a gym.

Then suddenly she had an idea.

Although she and her father never really saw eye-to-eye, there was one thing they could completely agree on; a restless mind was always cured with some steady breaths. Whenever Angelica felt her control slipping on her nerves, she and her father would practice Tai-Chi until she was able to collect herself again. And since she felt her nerves starting to build in her gut and throat, she was going to practice her forms until she had to leave.

For the next three hours, Angelica practiced until she was sure her nerves wouldn't affect her during the lesson.

 _Well, it is a new environment..._ she thought to herself as she repeatedly slowed her breathing and movements for what seemed to be the fiftieth time. Her anxiety tended to act up whenever she was experiencing large or sudden changes in life. And her current situation happened to be right up that alley.

Angelica was only able to completely finish two forms without any mistakes before the alarm on her phone went off, signaling with a gentle urgency that she needed to leave.

 _It's time to get out of here,_  she thought to herself, once again picking up her bag and snatching a hair tie from her bed as she headed out to the dance studio. 

**Author's Note:**

> I listen to Vocaloid ok


End file.
